Andrew Downs: West Lafayette cases raises question of what's art and what is a business sign

3:58 PM,
Jul. 1, 2013

Written by

Andrew Downs

The house next to yours is well kept, but needs to be painted. The owner hires a painting contractor to do the job. The crew is professional and the work is done according to the highest standards. Just when you think the job is finished, an artist shows up and paints a banana that starts at the back, runs the length of the side, and ends on the front of the house. Is this art? Is it a logo? Does it harm the value of neighboring properties?

On the surface, defining art seems like it should be easy. Art is about human expression, but what is expressed and how it is expressed are factors that complicate the ...